The 9mm Automatic: A Better 9mm Cartridge

[qmcorps]

http://www.shootingtimes.com/2014/03...9mm-cartridge/

[sprrdhawk44]

A solution to a non-existent problem. It will never catch on.

[GonzoGeezer]

The first production pistol using the 9mm Parabellum cartridge was a DWM manufactured Luger in 1903. It has remained essentially unchanged for 111 years with a pretty good track record. Why change now?

[qmcorps]

9mm Largo. Never took off outside of Astra, et.al., firearms. It is a more potent cartridge. I have two pistols in this caliber. I thought the article was interesting. Still, .45ACP for me.

http://www.9mmlargo.com/

[raxar]

Good to see that the idea of cost/benefit analysis has been totally abandoned by the firearms industry

[unclejumbo]

Interesting article, especially with the single stack pocket nines getting so popular. Given that it doesn't require alteration of current 9mm Parabellum pistols and increases feeding reliability with defensive rounds, what's not to like?

The biggest negative I see are the millions and millions of brass casings that already exist. It would be much more costly to produce given the changes to the casing. I could see a manufacturer designing a high dollar defensive/competition round with the case and niche marketing it to the single stack crowd. Although, if someone hasn't had a FTF, why would they buy it?

[wanneroo]

It's an answer to a question no one asked except for one obsessive reloading nerd that needed to write an article.

[RockIsland]

Another solution for a problem that doesn't exist.

Some people have way too much free time on their hands.

[ungawa]

A solution to a non-existent problem. It will never catch on.

It's a very existent problem, it's a problem I have, and I would buy the ammo if the price was right.

The problem is there are not enough guns in use that experience this issue to such a degree to justify producing it.

[thundrr1]

I see a lot more 1911's in 9 MM today. I have heard that nose diving rounds really is an issue with this platform. I happen to have a Wilson Combat CQB in 9 MM and enjoy the pistol but only have 100 rounds down range. The following is a post from Wilson Combat in the "1911.com" forum.

A soft shooting and accurate 9mm 1911 is one of the most enjoyable custom handguns to shoot but because of their low recoil energy you must take special care during break in and usage or you may be faced with reliability issues.

Ammunition Requirements: A 1911 in 9mm will typically feed and fire most Full Metal Jacket (ball) ammunition and jacketed hollowpoint ammunition that closely follows the profile of FMJ ammunition. Since the 9mm cartridge has a tapered case and is shorter overall than the 1911 was originally designed for, jacketed hollowpoint ammunition must be loaded on the long side of specs to prevent nose-down failures to feed (approx. 1.150").

We recommend our ammunition for best results http://shopwilsoncombat.com/9mm-Para.../products/299/

You may need to download 10 round magazines to 9 rounds to feed square nose hollowpoint ammunition.

1) Use plenty of lubrication during break in and thereafter. We recommend our Ultima Lube Lite Oil or another very light, low viscosity oil like Weaponshield or FP-10. We find that most service issues are caused by under lubricating tight 9mm pistols.

2) Make sure you tailor your recoil spring to the ammunition loads at hand. Our full size 9mm handguns come standard with a 10# recoil spring. For light loads during break in you may need an 8# spring to run reliably. A 9mm 1911 will not require a shok-buff. A compact 9mm pistol usually has a 13# round wire or flatwire recoil spring installed.

3) Make sure your magazines are clean and the springs have taken a set. Our ETM 9mm magazines are the most reliable 1911 9mm magazines on the market but when new the springs are very strong to ensure proper round position and last round lockback. Load and unload your magazines a few times prior to first use and keep them loaded for a few days. Use a non-marring tool like a plastic bushing wrench to cycle the spring and follower as far as it will travel for a few dozen cycles. This will ensure your springs are “set” and do not exert undue pressure on the slide when cycling.

4) If your pistol locks back manually on an empty magazine but you experience a failure to lock back on empty when shooting you likely need a lighter recoil spring or should use a higher velocity or heavier bullet loading. Make sure there is no shok-buff installed on the guide rod.

5) If you experience a failure to feed or chamber your handgun is probably under-lubricated, lubricated with too thick of oil or fouled. We find that a 9mm 1911 must be kept cleaner than a similar .45 ACP handgun for best reliability. Some hollowpoint loading will require the use of a 12# recoil spring for best feeding.

6) If you experience a failure to eject the slide is not coming far enough to the rear and it indicates you may need a lighter recoil spring or your ammunition is underpowered.

8) If you experience light strikes with military or surplus/foreign made ammunition you may need to replace your firing pin spring with a #26 XP firing pin spring. We use a XXP Power spring to increase drop safety but as a result some hard, military style primers may fail to ignite. Also check your firing pin tunnel for fouling and primer shavings which are more common in high-pressure rounds like 9mm.

9) Clean your 9mm 1911 every 500 rounds for best results. Excessive fouling from cheap powder in most inexpensive 9mm ammunition will cause your pistol to quickly become sluggish and will lose the energy required to strip, feed and chamber a round from the magazine.

10) A properly broken in and sprung 9mm 1911 will shoot any factory ammunition from a tame standard velocity load to +P+ major caliber factory ammunition and reloads. Be advised if you are shooting +P or +P+ ammunition to be observant of any signs of excessive pressure like swollen case heads, pierced or flattened primers or primer material flowing into the firing pin hole as this debris can cause a failure to fire.

A complete video archive is available on www.wilsoncombat.com
Click the YouTube channel link for all of our instructional videos.